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Two Wounded Bird – Two Wounded Birds

(Holiday Records)

Two Wounded Birds have made their name thus far with a slew of well-received singles and EPs, coveting an enthusiasm for snappy rock n roll riffs and heartbroken melodies, something their self-titled debut sets in stone. It’s an approach that has earned the Margate foursome comparisons to The Beach Boys and The Ramones but there is far more substance to them than merely plundering rock n’ rolls illustrious history. The band have taken the energy and attitude from those days of yore and placed them in a truly modern setting.

Their debut cruises between two nuances. The energetic surf-inspired indie-pop with all the punch of early rock n roll (‘Together Forever’ ‘Daddy’s Junk’ and ‘Two Be Young’) and tales of heartbreak and loss (‘My Lonesome’, ‘Night Patrol’ and ‘The Outer World’). The latter are told through an atmospheric haze of spectral reverb, of an almost shoe-gaze aesthetic. The album is bound by a love of – and an ability to produce – timeless and infectious pop songs, with a fair share of “oohs” and “ahhs” thrown in for good measure. It works well until the close, where by the album dips and dithers slightly with ‘Growing’ and ‘No Goodbyes’, as they stray into more conventional ‘indie-rock’ territory.

While it may be lacking that something extra and becomes a little tiresome toward the end, Two Wounded Birds is a solid and enjoyable debut with more than enough punch to propel them into the public sphere, something they and this album undoubtedly deserve. They’ll need more of the spark of their influences second time around though.